Playing career

Amateur

Wheeler attended Breck School his freshman year through his junior year. There, during his junior year, Wheeler had his breakout season, putting up a state-high 45 goals and 55 assists in 2003-04. He led his team to a Class A State Hockey Championship that season, and scored a hat trick in the final game.

Early in the 2007-08 season, following injuries to Ryan Stoa and Mike Howe, Wheeler was named an alternate captain for the Golden Gophers and recorded 35 points in 44 games. At the end of the season, four years after he was drafted, Wheeler had yet to come to a contract agreement with the Coyotes. Given the option, Wheeler elected to become an unrestricted free agent despite a maximum entry-level contract offer from the club.[5]

Professional

Boston Bruins

After the Phoenix Coyotes were not able to come to terms with Wheeler, on July 1, 2008, Wheeler signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins.[6] The Coyotes received a compensatory second-round pick as a result of his signing elsewhere. On October 7, the Bruins made their final cuts for the 2008-09 season and Wheeler remained with the NHL club. Two days later, on October 9, Wheeler scored his first NHL goal, in his NHL debut, against goaltender Peter Budaj of the Colorado Avalanche.[7] Wheeler then collected his first NHL hat trick the next month on November 6, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[8]

Being named to the 2009 NHL YoungStars Game to represent the rookies, he earned Game MVP honors after a four-goal effort to beat the sophomores 9-5.[9] After being hit by a puck in practice during the 2009 pre-season, Blake added a visor to his helmet.[10]

In July 2013, Wheeler avoided arbitration by signing a contract for six years, $33.6 million, which carries an annual cap hit of $5.6 million per season. He is now the third-highest paid Jets player behind defensemen Tobias Enström and Dustin Byfuglien, and he is signed through to the 2018-19 season.[12]